Solid tyres. Anyone use them?

[BlackPanther]

https://dlbcycles.squarespace.com/dlbcycles-blog/2015/6/1/tannus-tyres-vs-continental-gatorskin

Thinking of giving these a try. Sounds ideal for the rear on the Trice. The fronts are a doddle to swap out, so no worries there, but if they were fitted to the front, would they handle the lateral forces when cornering? Was thinking of trying one on the trike first, and if they live up to the hype maybe putting them on the RaptoBike?

 

[Alex H]

I tried a solid tyre on my hybrid a few years ago .(not the one in the link)

It moved in the rim and did not corner anything like a 'normal' one. I'm sure technology has changed in the intervening years, but I would advise caution

Are they expensive?

 

[sidevalve]

I must admit I find this a fascinating idea. It seems strange to me that we still use air filled balloons and have never developed something to fill the inside of a tyre. After all we are not involving either the speeds, cornering forces or deflection of car or m/cycle tyres. There are plastics to do almost anything [they even make guns out of them] so why not ? Is lack of will or interest ? Any how if you decide to do it keep us informed.

 

[voyager]

Most wheel chairs use a very similar tyre , I am sure they have sorted the technology by now , lots of advantages but the tyres will always be at a constant pressure which might prove a disadvantage sometimes , most of these wheelchair ones I have "played with " have been glued to the rim and only a diagonal cut with a hacksaw removes them

keep us informed

 

[Drago]

Very tempted. Reports are that while the tannus ones aren't perfect, they're the closest yet and perfectly usable. Downside it that potential destruction of the mounting clips or even the tyre itself if you need to remove it to replace a spoke.

 

[ianrauk]

Do a search for 'Tannus'
There are a few threads on the subject.

 

[busa5504]

I certainly would be interested to hear your results as the cycle paths and roads around my way are shocking

 

[byegad]

A number of times over my 60 odd years solid tyres have come up as an advance over pneumatic tyres. The reason they are not in universal use is that so far, and I suspect for a very long time into the future, they are not as efficient or as comfortable as the alternative. A number of reports on previous iterations of these things have mentioned failure of almost everything bolted onto the bike! Due in no small part to horrendous vibration.

I await reports of successful use of a solid tyre, but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Hacienda71]

What about tubeless (not tubs)? Supposed to offer far better puncture protection than clinchers with only a minor weight penalty.

 

[starhawk]

I tried a number of puncture-proof variants, foamtubes proved to be like riding on the rims and a real pain to get the tires on. I also tried using foam "strings" which I cut up myself to get rid of the "glue-points", they where rather good but had an uneven quality so riding on an flat paved surface was kind of "wobbly". I eventually settled for Greentyre foamtyres for a couple of years, but in the end they where not as comfy as the pneumatic tyres so now I ride on pneumatic tires again, but I entertain myself with the idea of replacing the rear tyre with a Greentyre. To avoid those dreaded flats I ride on + tires, no puncture since I put them on.

 

[paul fellows]

http://greentyre.co.uk/bicycle-tyres.php
based here on teesside. imo they are no worse or better than a solidly pumped up tire. if you try them be sure to even out the tension after you put then on.

 

[starhawk]

Greentyre is the best of the lot I tried, but they are not as comfy as the pneumatic tires. But that was on the mountain bike, wonder if the suspension in my trike make them feel identical to prneumatic tires?

 

[MontyVeda]

I must admit I find this a fascinating idea. It seems strange to me that we still use air filled balloons and have never developed something to fill the inside of a tyre. After all we are not involving either the speeds, cornering forces or deflection of car or m/cycle tyres. There are plastics to do almost anything [they even make guns out of them] so why not ? Is lack of will or interest ? Any how if you decide to do it keep us informed.

Why develop something other than air to fill a tube with? It's light, it works very well, it's readily available and it's free.

 

[Padraig]

When going off on a longish ride, I've always dreaded punctures. I also wondered whether anybody had developed a viable solid tyre, and did some research a couple of years ago. Although such things are available, the general consensus seems to be that they're simply not as good, in terms of comfort and handling, as conventional tyres. The invention of the pneumatic tyre, let's not forget, absolutely revolutionised cycling, and for a number of very good reasons. With a non-suspension bike, your tyres are effectively your suspension.

 

[BlackPanther]

Did anyone notice the link in my 1st post? I know it's advertising bumf, but surely if a tyre is lighter, just as comfy, lasts as long as a normal tyre, and is impervious to punctures it's a good thing? Has no one tried a Tannus tyre?